Springfield’s path to the Texas League North Division first-half championship was not a straight line. Like a ride at Six Flags, it was a rollercoaster with exhilarating moments and stretches of terror.
“But the guys never gave up,” Cardinals manager Jose Leger said before Springfield opened the second half of the regular-season schedule on June 25 at Hammons Field against Arkansas — the same team it edged by one-half game when the first-half dust settled.
The Cardinals will play host to playoff baseball in mid-September for the second straight season. Unlike a year ago, when they won the second half of the North on the final weekend, they’ll have more than a couple of days to plan and sell tickets this time.
“We’re feeling great as a team,” leadoff hitter Bryan Torres said of being playoff bound. “That was the first goal of the year. We had a tough last two weeks, but I think the union and the great talent of our team … we found ourselves in a tough situation … but all together we did it. We made it.”
How wild was the ride? The Cardinals opened with a team-record nine-game winning streak, including eight in a row at home. But they went 5-18 the rest of the half in games at Hammons Field and were swept in a six-game homestand two weeks ago.
Ice cold baseball in mid-June
The losing streak reached eight after a series-opening loss on June 18 at Corpus Christi and the Cardinals were looking up at Arkansas, atop the division. Leger said the position players called a team meeting.
“They said, ‘it’s time for us to turn this thing around and finish strong, no matter what happens.’ We knew at that point we were gonna need Arkansas to lose some games,” Leger said, “but it worked out for us. I’m very proud because they wanted it and we got it done.”
Torres, perhaps the team’s MVP for his solid first-half hitting and fielding at second base and in center fielder, said the meeting was “a key to compact the team from that tough moment and tough situations that we had the last two weeks.
“It was literally about our focus and changing it a little bit,” Torres added. “That last week, we tried to compete and just compete against the other team and forget about external things.”
No-hitter corrects the course for the Cards
After a rainout on June 19, the Cardinals swept a double header from Corpus Christi the next night. Cooper Hjerpe and Andrew Marrero combined for the first no-hitter in franchise history in game one and that gave the team a much-needed lift.
“Hjerpe was really good,” Leger said of the five innings that the organization's No. 6 minor-league prospect worked. Leger said he saw “a little fire, a little emotion” from Hjerpe early in the game and that was a good thing.
Hjerpe said he was under a limitation of five innings or 80 pitches, whichever came first. He threw 64 and said he’s eager to make his next start, on June 26 against Arkansas.
Hjerpe didn’t have much of a celebration, post-no-hitter.
“We played some cards in the hotel and that was about it,” he said. “It was on to the next one. We were focused on clinching that first half. That was the main thing.”
After losing on June 21, the Cardinals were 1.5 games behind with two to play. They had to win both their remaining games and for last-place Wichita to win two over Arkansas. That’s exactly how it played out.
Springfield prevailed 5-0 on June 22 behind Alex Cornwell’s six shutout innings and scoreless relief from Ryan Shreve and Matt Svanson. The next day, the Cardinals gathered in the visitor’s clubhouse at Corpus Christi to watch Arkansas face Wichita in a 1 p.m. game, ahead of their game that evening at 5 p.m.
Wichita prevailed 3-2 and the division was Springfield’s for the taking.
“I don’t know about the other guys, but for me, when I saw (Arkansas) lose, I thought there was no way we were gonna lose,” outfielder Matt Lloyd said. “It was right there for us and we took care of business. We ended up winning and it was good.”
They scored early and often in a 9-2 victory.
Lloyd, who like Torres is a former free-agent signee out of Independent League baseball, hit home runs in each of the final two games. Catcher Jimmy Crooks and outfielder Mike Antico also homered in the clincher, the first time this season Springfield hit three home runs in a game.
“It’s always nice to contribute, especially when it comes down to the wire like that,” Lloyd said. “I was just trying to do my best for the team. It’s always good to have a good day when we need it the most.”
Cooper Hjerpe arrived at the right time
Hjerpe, who’s only been with the Springfield Cardinals for two weeks after a promotion from High-A Peoria, said it’s nice to be a part of a winner. The first goal for everyone is player development, but winning — and the water-bottle-shower celebration afterward — makes the minor-league process even sweeter.
“That was fun to be a part of,” Hjerpe said. “I was a part of that last year in Peoria, too, after my (injury) rehab. It’s always fun to win and to clinch something. To do it this early in the year and be an auto playoff bid, that is cool.”
Leger was asked what he enjoyed more — the nine-game winning streak at the start of the season or the two-gamer that finished off the first half? He struggled for several seconds to answer.
“Maybe the way they finished,” Leger said. “It’s hard to overcome that losing streak that we had. Going to Corpus, the guys knew that we needed to win. That was the bottom line and they took on that challenge, playing really good baseball in Corpus.”
Winning half-season division titles in the minor leagues don’t lead to parades. It doesn’t hurt, though, to develop the habit of winning pressure-packed games.
“You play to win,” Leger said. “The organization has done a good job of teaching how to play the game the right way and how to play winning baseball. In the minor leagues it’s about developing players and getting them to the big leagues, but if you are able to do that and win it is always fun.”
Another pitching prospect arrives in SGF
The Cardinals have promoted left-handed pitcher Quinn Mathews to Springfield after he dominated at both Low-A Palm Beach and High-A Peoria this season. Mathews, a fourth-round draft choice in 2023 out of Stanford, had a collective 2.18 ERA, 0.78 WHIP and 110 strikeouts with just 20 walks over 74 ⅓ innings in 13 starts. His 110 strikeouts lead all minor leaguers.
Leger and Mathews said prior to the homestand opener that the 6-foot-5 Mathews is scheduled to make his first Double-A start on June 30, the series finale with the Arkansas Travelers.
Hogan Windish blasts four home runs
Arkansas designated hitter Hogan Windish had a performance for the ages in the series opener, hitting four home runs and driving in all of the Travelers’ runs in the 9-4 victory. After a walk in his first plate appearance, Windish homered in four consecutive at-bats off of four different pitchers. He came into the game with three home runs and 19 RBIs in 200 at-bats this season.
The four homer game was the 112th occurrence in Minor League Baseball history dating back to 1889. Windish, a seventh-round draft choice by the Seattle Mariners in 2022 out of UNC Greensboro, joined Mike Greenwell of the Boston Red Sox in 1996 as the only known players in professional baseball history to drive in all nine of their team’s runs.
Springfield Cardinals’ homestand
June 25 - Arkansas 9, Springfield 4
June 26 - Springfield 4, Arkansas 1
June 27 - Springfield vs. Arkansas, 7:05 p.m.
June 28 - Springfield vs. Arkansas, 7:05 p.m.
June 29 - Springfield vs. Arkansas, 6:35 p.m.
June 30 - Springfield vs. Arkansas, 6:05 p.m.
For tickets, call (417) 863-2143 or visit the SpringfieldCardinals.com
